A second chance
by petrakro
Summary: 50 years in the future after the Klaroline moments from 4x14, Caroline and Stefan get invited to a ball hosted ny none other than one of the Mikaelsons. How will the two of them handle seeing the two people they thought they were never see again. Rated M as a precaution
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**The story follows the Klaroline events up till season 4 episode 14. Caroline had been bitten by Klaus to get back at Tyler, however in the end he saved her after she claimed he loved her and that anyone capable of love is capable of being saved. Tyler had to leave with Klaus threatening to kill him. The details of his departure will be specified eventually. About the cure, certain things happened differently. They will be explained in flash backs as the story progresses. All you need to know right now is that the Scooby doo gang never found it. Hope you enjoy the story. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own TVD.**

50 years after the events of episode 13.

Many years have passed since she left Mystic Falls, but the events of that one particular day are forever imprinted in her mind.

"_Caroline. Thank god you're okay." Elena sighed ecstatic to see her best friend. "I um heard what happened with Klaus."_

_Caroline eyed her worried. "How?"_

"_Tyler called. He wanted to let us know just in case Klaus didn't give you the cure. He wanted to give us a chance to say goodbye."_

_She signed relieved, Elena had no idea. "I'm okay. Tyler's plan worked after all. Though I don't know why he would care that much. I mean I'm just a game to him, just a toy to be played around with until he's finished with it." _

"_We all know that isn't the case. Though I'm certain he's incapable of real feelings, he must like you, at least in his own twisted way."_

_Caroline signed avoiding Elena's eyes. She didn't want to be having this conversation. Though she loved Elena, she wasn't ready to tell her all about their conversation and she was especially not ready to reveal his feelings towards her. She smiled at the thought. Klaus loves her. Though he hadn't said the words himself, not denying them was as much as a confession. _

"_I spoke to Tyler a few days ago." Elena looked up shyly at Caroline who was immediately brought back to the universe. _

_Tyler. Just thinking his name brought back all her pain. He was gone and there wasn't anything she could do to change that. She had thought about leaving with him, but knew she couldn't. Her friends needed her and even if they didn't, Klaus's determination to find Tyler would increase out of pure jealousy. All she could do was stay behind and hope that one day, they would be reunited. _

"_How is he? We decided it would be best not to contact each other to keep him safe."_

"_He didn't say much. Just wanted to know how I was handling everything."_

_The cure. Of course. As much as she wanted to throw herself a pity party she knew others were in the same situation, or at least had their fare shares of trouble. _

"_How are you handling things?"_

"_We always knew there was a possibility it wasn't real, but I just hoped you know. All I wanted was to be human again. But I imagine I'm not the only one that's disappointed." She looked at Caroline worried she might have indeed wanted to take the cure too. _

_Caroline was reminded of her conversation with Klaus. He knew her well enough to know she would never take it while her best friend was certain she wanted to. He knew her better than her Elena. It unnerved her. Klaus is the enemy, despite any possible feelings she may have developed for him, the status had never changed. She just needed to remind herself of that. But truth be told, she knew deep down that Klaus was no more of a monster that she was, or Elena for that matter. They were all murderers. Who was she to claim to be better than him?_

"_I never wanted it. I like being strong, ageless, fearless." She stopped. Those were the exact same words that Klaus had used._

_Elena looked at her worried as she sensed something was amiss. _

"_Look, I'm sorry but I have to go meet Stephan. He isn't doing all that well and I promised him I would help him." _

_Elena looked startled, unaware of the close bond between Caroline and Stephan. _

"_I um kind of promised him I would leave town with him as soon as you guys got back. After Rebekah lost it, I told him I would do anything to help ease his pain. We're leaving in an hour, just in case you want to say your goodbyes." With the words out of her mouth, she turned towards the door and flashed out in front of her car. _

_As she opened the door she stopped dead in her tracks. A small yet familiar box was waiting for her on her seat. She hesitated for a brief second, but decided to open it. Inside she found a picture of her smiling as she rode on a horse. Below the image the inscription was all she needed to see, to definitely convince herself she was doing the right thing by leaving. "We're the same Caroline. Always and forever. Klaus."_

"Stephan? Are you ready? We don't want to be late." Caroline yelled from the bathroom. She knew it would probably take her another five minutes to be ready, but she needed to be sure they would leave immediately after.

"For the last time Care, I've been ready for half an hour."

She turned to the mirror one last time, thrilled with her appearance she turned towards the door and left to join Stephan.

"Care you look as stunning as ever, but you could hurry up next time. We don't even know who's throwing the ball and now we might seem like party crashers."

"It doesn't matter who's throwing it, we were invited and you know how much I love dancing. So whatever complaints you have, you'll just have to suck it up." Caroline smirked at him.

After all the years they spent together he knew better than to argue with her. Smiling he held up his arm as an act of chivalry and Caroline took it without any hesitations. Being her best friend there wasn't anything awkward as their touch. She did have to admit however that he looked dashing in his black suit. The contrast between the dark colour of the suit and the white of his shirt made him look older and yet more appealing. Furthermore the shirt left little to imagination, as his muscular chest was clearly visible. If only she could think of him as more than just a friend. They would be the perfect couple.

Caroline signed fully aware of the probabilities of any romantic relationship between her and Stephan. It would never happen. They seemed more like siblings than lovers.

Stephan turned to look at her, his eyes asking about her troubles. She shook her head and they continued towards the limousine. Whoever the host tonight, he better be worth all the troubles they'd had preparing for the event.

As they arrived at their destination a valet immediately opened their door. Caroline stepped out of the car, Stephan following behind her, and looked around wondering where the mansion was. She turned to Stephan to ask him what was going on, but as soon as she saw his expression she knew the both of them were once again clueless.

"Please my lady, my lord, follow me."

They followed the valet for a few minutes until they reached a carriage with horses. She was immediately struck by the beauty of the animals wondering if she would ever get to ride on them. Even though it had always been her dream, even as a vampire she had been too scared to try it out.

The valet signalled for them to climb into the carriage. As soon as they were settled, the carriage moved forward startling them.

"This is incredible. I can't believe we're arriving at the ball Cinderella style."

"You and your fairy tales. You never give up on them, do you?"

"Nope. I'm sure someday, somewhere, I'll find my prince and we'll live happily ever after. Well with you of course." She answered smiling at him.

The rest of their journey passed in a comfortable silence. Despite her incapability to stand any silences, for once she was too mesmerized to care. The land they traversed was beautiful. Flowers of every colour filled every space available, the trees were full fruits and the road had Christmas lights shining brightly illuminating the way. It was without a doubt the most magical place she had ever seen. Even Stephan clearly displeased at having to attend the ball couldn't complain as he took in their surroundings. All that was left to see was the mansion.

From a distance it seemed as any other house, but as they neared it, the decorations drawn on the walls, the lights shining from the windows and the size of the palace, rendered them speechless. Once again the door was opened by a valet who helped Caroline down from the carriage and showed them to the entrance.

"Welcome to the palace my lady, my lord. The hostess will be with you shortly."

The double doors opened to reveal a cloakroom and several other valets and servants. With their coats given to the servants they proceeded to the other side of the room from where they could music. They entered the ball room together, arm in arm, surveying the area for any familiar faces. They found none.

"We have to find the hostess and thank her for our invitations." Stephan announced.

"But how do we do that when we don't even know her name? We should dance first, she will reveal herself to us sooner or later."

Stephan was unsure thinking it would be rude but as he looked at Caroline he knew the battle was lost. It would be pointless to argue with her; she always gets her way. He led them to middle of the dance floor and reluctantly started dancing. No matter how traditional the Waltz was, he hated dancing.

As she moved with the music, she couldn't help but remember the last time she danced the Waltz. It was the night of the Mikaelson ball.

_She had come to keep an eye out for Matt knowing it was too dangerous for him at the ball, but as she looked around, she knew it was just an excuse; she wanted to spend a night as Cinderella, dancing, laughing, happy. After all she had been through with her dad and Tyler, she just wanted a distraction. One night of happiness. As she caught sight of Klaus, she was surprised at how angry she was. This was all his fault: Tyler being a hybrid and sired to him, leaving her alone as he went on his quest to break the bond. Her dad dying as he refused to complete the transition. Well that wasn't his fault, but why not let him take the blame. As Klaus approached her, desperate to get away from him, she left to get a drink. _

_Later on she danced with him fulfilling his request. She had decided that despite her hate towards him, she would act civil and pretend for one dance that he wasn't the enemy. It was hard but she tried her best. _

Thinking back she couldn't help but notice all the details that escaped her during their dance. Such as how he lit up when he mentioned her wearing the bracelet he gave her as if he were genuinely happy about it. How his hands held her tightly unwilling to let her go and how sincere he sounded when he spoke of her father. She had missed all his human traits.

As they danced Caroline couldn't help but feel as though someone was watching them. She turned her head around searching, but couldn't find the source of her unease. They both stiffened at the smell of human blood. Though she had managed to help Stephan control his urges, she was still worried. His control wasn't perfect.

"Let's go outside for a minute." She told him.

As they walked towards the exit, she couldn't help but notice the other visitors. They seemed different than normal people. There was something odd about them that she couldn't place until she saw her. She froze unsure of what to do. Staring back at her was none other than Rebekah Mikaelson. Suddenly she understood. Everyone attending the ball was a vampire.

"Caroline let's go." Stephan urged. His face had already started to transform showing his vampire features.

As soon as they stepped outside she could feel Stephan relaxing as he could no longer smell the blood. They walked around the garden for a few minutes just enjoying their moment of peace. She savoured the moment for she knew that everything would change when the identity of mystery hostess was revealed.

"Stephan?"

"Hmm?"

"I think I saw the hostess. I'm certain it's her because nobody else knows us here."

"Who is it?" He asked her, curious.

She took a deep breath and staring up at him, eager to register any sign of a reaction to her news she uttered the words. "Rebekah."

He froze. It was impossible. They had spent years trying to track her down without any success and now here she was. He had to see her. He started walking back towards the ball when Caroline flashed in front of him.

"Caroline let me go." He ordered annoyed at her for not telling him sooner.

"Stephan you need to calm down. You're in shock. You won't be able to think properly. Just take a minute to calm down and think this through. You wouldn't help yourself if you did anything rash." She reasoned.

"Caroline I love you, but I need to find her. I'm not letting her go. Not this time."

Rebekah watched their exchange through the window. She could hear every word, see every expression. She knew it would be best to just leave before Stephan caught up with her, but she couldn't. Deep down she had wanted them to find her tonight. She missed Stephan but he reminded her of what she could never have – a normal life. She looked back at her guests wondering if any of the important ones had arrived. Though she knew Caroline most likely didn't want to see her brother, this was her one chance she had to help him find the one girl he loved. She turned back towards the window to continue spying on Stephan when suddenly he was standing in front of her.

**So that's it for chapter 1 I hope you guys liked it. For those of you impatient to see Klaus don't worry, he makes an appearance next chapter.**

**Don't hesitate to leave your comments and questions. Until next time.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**I would like to thank all those who reviewed or followed my story. It means a lot. So here is the second chapter. I hope you all like it. **

Caroline walked back inside careful to avoid Stefan and Rebekah. They needed their privacy in order to talk things out and she would give that to the. She headed straight to the bar to grab a drink, if she were to stay here without Stefan she would need it.

"A glass of champagne, please." She ordered looking at the bartender.

He looked cute in his black and white uniform. His name tag signalled that his name was Ted. Perhaps she could have a little fun with him while she waited for Stefan.

"Here you go." He smiled at her.

"Thank you." She returned the favour by offering him her brightest smile. "So how did you get roped into working at this ball?" She asked innocently even though she was very curious. She wondered if Rebekah had compelled the staff to work for her, or if she was actually paying them. She hoped he wasn't compelled because she could never continue with her plans if he wasn't in full control of his actions.

"Miss Mikaelson saw me working at a bar a few weeks ago and asked me if I were interested in earning a little money for working for her. I need money to pay for college so I agreed." He explained.

"Well I hope she pays you a lot for your troubles, it can't be easy working for a nightmare like her, especially with all these guests here."

"It's really not that bad. Certainly not now talking to you."

She smirked, he was flirting back. It seemed almost too easy.

"You know if you need any help I'd be more than happy to assist you. Though I do have to warn you that I've never worked behind a bar before." She really hoped he'd let her help, it would be fun.

He looked at her for a minute considering.

"Please?"

"Alright. But only for a little while."

She laughed and stepped behind the bar.

"So what exactly do I do?"

"Well, you stand there looking all dolled up like you do and then when someone comes and orders a drink you make it and hand it to them. However if they order a cocktail you tell me so I can make it because after all I'm the one getting paid for it."

"Of course, I wouldn't want to screw anything up for you. So what school do you go to?"

"Well I got accepted to Cambridge a few weeks ago, but I haven't started it yet."

Caroline looked at him impressed. Cambridge was one of the best schools in England she had heard. He must be really smart.

"I'm impressed."

"Thanks. It was always my dream school so I'm glad I got in."

"Well you probably worked very hard to get in. I'm sure you deserved it." She looked down at the floor before lifting her eyes and looking into his eyes through her eyelashes her eyes sparkling brightly.

She heard him catch his breath and smiled. This trick always works.

"Do you by any chance…" he looked at her suddenly nervous.

"Yes?"

"Would you care for a dance? I take a break in five minutes."

"It would be my pleasure. I love to dance." It really was true. With Stefan otherwise occupied she needed a new dance partner and he really was cute.

Five minutes later a man showed up wearing the same uniform as Ted.

"You can have your break now, but don't take too long you know how the hostess gets when she doesn't see all of us working."

"Don't worry," Caroline assured them "she's otherwise occupied." She smiled for she had seen Rebekah and Stefan walking up the stairs together hand in hand.

They looked at her still worried.

"Come on, live a little." She urged them grabbing Ted's hand and dragging him along to the dance floor.

She placed one hand in his and the other on his shoulder just as he put his hand around her waist. She enjoyed the feeling. Nobody had touched her like that in many years. Though she could have had many affairs during the years, with Stefan standing beside her she had always behaved. Furthermore she knew deep down that nobody would ever replace the hands she really wanted touching her. As he spun her around she laughed – she was enjoying herself.

As the music changed into a slow pop song, she lifted her hands and put them around his neck her head resting against his chest. With his hands encircling her waist she closed her eyes and thought of the one person always on her mind, imagining it were him.

"Caroline."

She opened her eyes shocked. Never during her fantasies had she heard his voice in her ears so clearly. She closed her eyes one more time hoping to hear his voice again.

"Caroline."

Her eyes fluttered open, this was no fantasy. The voice was real, of that she was sure. But how? He couldn't be here. Though she had wanted him to find her, she was still worried about betraying her friends and that thought had kept her hidden from him for all this time. Different emotions filled her. Fear, anger, despair but despite it all she couldn't help but feel relieved.

As the song ended she excused herself and headed towards the bathroom searching the ballroom with her eyes. As she entered the stall she paused considering her two options:

1. She could run away. Stefan would either join her later on or he would stay with Rebekah for a while. That thought saddened her; she didn't want to lose Stefan.

2. She could go out and face him.

As she thought it through one more time she knew her choice was made. There was never really any other way. She was not a coward, she would not run, not hide, never again. She had chosen the first option all those years ago out of fear and loyalty towards Stefan but this time Stefan wasn't here to help her chose. It was all up to her.

Taking a deep breath she looked in the mirror making sure her makeup and hair were still perfect. Pleased with what she saw she turned towards the door and stepped out ready to face him.

He wasn't hard to spot. Sitting at the bar he was staring at her waiting for her to come towards him.

…

He stepped into the house his sister had bought centuries ago. They had spent a decade here together before Mikael had found them. Since then he hadn't been here and as far as he knew neither had Rebekah. He wondered what made her come back. They had vowed to never return, for it was here that he had daggered Kol. Knowing his sister the bad memories of this place would always haunt her whenever she came back. So why would she be here and more importantly why would she throw a ball and invite him? They hadn't seen each other in 50 years, ever since she had set off to find the cure. Granted they spoke to each other over the phone quite often after she forgave him for pretending to be dead and not saving her when the council kidnapped her, but she was always careful not to give him any indication of where she was staying. It had been frustrating but he had had more important things to worry about.

He needed to find a way to make hybrids once more. After centuries of trying to break the course so that he could make hybrids he wouldn't give up just because the doppelganger was a vampire. He would find a way. It was no longer only about him being alone and having slaves to do his bidding; he wanted them and needed them to find the one person he had thought about every single day for the past fifty years. Caroline.

He still couldn't believe she had run. If wasn't her style. When he had found out she was gone, he was hurt, he felt betrayed. Granted he had told her he would kill Tyler and she had been terrified, angry and most of all hurt, but he had thought she would fight for her happiness. He would have never imagined she would just walk away. She knew how he felt and what he would do for her and still she left.

He had spent the last 50 years looking for her without any success. She had somehow managed to avoid him. It doesn't matter, no matter how long it would take him, he would find her and make her see what she meant to him and eventually she would realise she felt the same way.

He looked around the room for Rebekah but couldn't see her anywhere. It was strange she always wanted to be the centre of attention, why would she not want it now. Perhaps she was entertaining someone elsewhere. The thought alone made him boil with rage, his little sister with a man was not something he liked to think about.

He heard a familiar laughter. It sounded like church bells, the most amazing church bells. But that wasn't possible; there was only one person that could laugh like that. He looked towards the source of the noise and he spotted her dancing in the arms of some servant. She looked radiant.

"Caroline." He whispered more to himself than anyone else.

He was shocked at seeing her. If his heart were still beating it would have stopped. He was overcome with happiness. His search was over, he had found her. But then as he continued staring at her, his blood started to boil. Who did that servant think he was, touching her like that? He considered going up to them and making the man take his hands off of her, perhaps breaking them in the process, but he knew Caroline would never forgive him if he did it.

He had seen her stiffen at the sound of her name. She had heard him, she knew he was here and yet did nothing.

"Caroline." He whispered again trying to get her attention.

She looked up once more but didn't acknowledge his presence in any other way. It was infuriating. As the song ended he heard her making excuses to her date and saw her leave towards the bathroom. She had seen him. It was the only explanation of her behaviour. He decided he would wait for her at the bar; she would see him immediately when she left the bathroom. He ordered himself a glass of bourbon and sipped his drink as he waited for her.

He stared at her when he saw her leaving the bathroom making sure she knew he was waiting for her. She had nowhere to escape and she knew it. He saw her making her way towards him and he couldn't help but feel nervous. After all this time he would get to talk to her, look her in her deep green eyes and see her smile. She was all he wanted and was now within his reach.

She took a seat next to him without looking at him and ordered a glass of champagne. She waited until she had her drink in her hand before finally turning towards him.

…

He was nervous she could feel it and yet, as she looked at him he seemed as calm as ever. He knew she would be here but now he wasn't sure he wanted to talk to her - that was the only possible explanation for his demeanour. She waited for him to start the conversation but as time passed by it became obvious he was waiting for her to speak. Wanting to hear his voice again she broke the silence.

"So…" she started "how've you been?" she asked in what she hoped was an innocent tone. She didn't want him to know how desperate she was to know the answer.

"How I've been? Do you really want to know sweetheart?" He asked wondering if she was merely being polite or actually interested.

"Of course. We haven't seen each other in 50 years, course I want to know." She replied. Why wouldn't she want to know?

"Well if you really want to know, I've been miserable. I've been searching for this one girl for a very long time ever since she left without any explanation, any goodbye. You see she found out how I felt and then just left, I almost feel I should take it personally." He was humouring her. He wanted her to know he never gave up on her; it was the only way she would ever accept to give him a chance. He needed to prove to her that he cared even after all this time.

"You looked for me? All this time? Why?" She couldn't believe it. Even though she knew he had loved her she never imagined it lasting. It was one of the reasons why she was so reluctant to give him a chance.

"You know why, love. Even after all this time nothing has changed. The way I feel about you will never change. Not in a year, not in a century, not in a millennium. Never."

She was surprised. He sounded so sincere, but that wasn't possible. Rarely anybody picked her first, she was always the second choice and yet here he was promising to always put her before any other woman. It sounded too good to be true.

"How is that possible? Why didn't you give up on me? It's been 50 years." She asked him desperate to hear the answer.

"You told me once that anybody capable of love is capable of being saved and this is me trying to prove you right, hoping to make you see that I can be saved, that I can be worthy of you, worthy of your love. It may take a long time but I will do it; I will do whatever is necessary to get you to give me a chance."

She was stunned. Never in her life could she have imagined hearing these words coming out of his mouth. It was a miracle, one she wanted to believe but couldn't not after everything that had happened.

"Caroline love, take a chance. I dare you."

She reconsidered his proposition. As much as she wanted to deny her feelings for him, she knew it was only a matter of time before she acted upon them. Her choice was decided: better she make him work for her heart now, than give it to him later for free.

"You have a week starting tomorrow to prove yourself. Stefan is upstairs with Rebekah, get our address from him and don't screw it up." She stood up and walked away towards the exit. She would send Stefan a message later on telling him she was already at home.

It was his turn to be surprised. She had given in so easily almost as if she wanted him too. But no he wouldn't think like that, he couldn't be cocky, he had one week to woo her and he wouldn't ruin it. He stood up and followed her towards the exit, he had plans to prepare. Plans that had to be perfect and nothing less. She would always get the best from him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**I'm sorry for the long wait but I hope the slightly longer chapter makes up for it. I'm working without a Beta so if you guys see any grammatical mistakes let me know. But I don't think there should be any. In case there are don't hesitate to call upon them. **

**Disclaimer I unfortunately do not own the Vampire Diaries. **

_Ring! Ring! _

_As the doorbell rang Caroline looked at herself one more time and rushed to answer her visitor. Reaching for the handle she put on her best smile and opened the door. There he stood all handsome in his dark jeans and grey shirt. His eyes bore into hers as he took in her appearance: She had put on the light blue dress he had sent her complimenting it with white heels, her hair falling in soft curls around her head. She looked magnificent; bright like an angel. _

"_Good evening, Caroline." He started off unwilling to prolong the silence. "You look beautiful."_

"_Thank you for the dress, but I do own several. I don't need you to get my any dresses or presents." She told him making sure he understood that she was grateful but that he couldn't buy her. _

"_Of course, love. But I come from a time where giving gifts was a sign of affections and accepting them a sign of reciprocation." He couldn't help but smile as she blushed. He had just told her he had feelings for her and that she probably felt the same way and yet she didn't argue with him. She just looked flustered. _

"_So where are we going? Judging by your attire and the dress I assume someplace semi-formal." She asked._

"_We're going to an Italian restaurant for dinner and then I have a surprise for you." He smiled playing with her._

_He led her towards his car and opened the door for her like a gentleman. Caroline couldn't help but giggle, the most feared and hated murderous hybrid in the world was acting like a gentleman. It truly was incredible. He climbed into the car and turned on the music changing the stations until a slow jazz song was playing. Caroline had to appreciate its beauty. The journey was mainly silent but not uncomfortable. Every once in a while she caught him looking at her with a strange intensity that she couldn't define. _

_The Italian restaurant was a small, family place filled with old pictures of the previous owners throughout history. She was amazed. She had expected something modern, grand and over the top but this was so much better. _

"_How did you know of this place?" She asked truly wondering. It was one of those places where she would have never expected to see him._

"_I used to come here at the beginning of the 20__th__ century. They had just opened and had managed to build themselves a reputation and so I decided to try it out. I've been coming here ever since." He replied totally at ease. _

_She was startled by his honesty. Sure he had talked about himself the few times they had been together but it never stopped amazing her at how different he acted around her. He was honest, pleasant and most importantly kind. She knew it was probably just an act but she couldn't help but believe it. _

_They ordered their meals, him of course speaking fluently Italian and started discussing trivial details of their lives these past 50 years. The evening continued and she had to admit she was having a good time: The food was delicious and the company interesting but pleasant. _

"_Would you like some dessert? I ordered it before we came here." Klaus asked._

"_Sure." She answered without hesitation. Eating dessert would prolong their evening so she was definitely up for it. _

_A waitress walked in and Klaus nodded slightly. Immediately she was followed by another and together they approached them. Before Caroline could react, one of the girls had placed her wrist in front of her face. Klaus reacted straight away. His face transformed to show the veins under his eyes, fangs came out of his gums and he bit the other waitress in the neck. _

_Caroline was in shock. She had been enjoying herself only to have reality sink in once again. She pushed the wrist away and stared at Klaus as he hungrily drained the girl. She could hear her heart beat slowing down and stop. Without thinking she ran at Klaus pushed him away from the girl and bit her own wrist bringing it towards the girl's mouth. However it was no use, she was dead. _

With a scream Caroline shot up in bed.

It was just a dream, just a dream, nothing more she reminded herself soothingly. She calmed down knowing the girl in the dream wasn't real.

She got out of bed and hurried to the bathroom for a shower trying to concentrate on anything but her dream. She took her time, her muscles relaxing under the pressure of warm water and for a while she thought of nothing but the feel of the drops hitting her skin.

A half an hour later Caroline was sitting in the kitchen sipping a blood bag.

Her thoughts returned to her dream and she couldn't help the shudder as it went through her body. She knew her dreams weren't real but she couldn't help but think of what they represented. They portrayed Klaus as the monster she knew he had been. She had hoped that in time he would start embracing the goodness and the humanity she saw in him when they were together and yet she knew it wouldn't be as simple as that. She remembered the very first time she had heard the name "Klaus" after leaving Mystic Falls.

_It was 2025 when Stefan and she were in Central Europe. They had spent many years travelling around the world but had so far avoided Europe. Now finally being in Europe they spent several months going from one country to another: England, France, Germany, Spain, Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, Slovakia and now they were in small country in the very centre of Central Europe: Czech Republic. _

_Prague, despite being the capital city, seemed small. Compared to everything they had seen, a city with merely 1.5 million inhabitants did not seem large enough to be the centre of a population. However small or not it was a magical place. It was modern and yet historical. They had learnt all about its sufferings not only during the two World Wars but also during the Cold War. It reminded them slightly of Mystic Falls – it too was a place condemned with tragic history. _

_Stefan and Caroline were sitting at a bar not too far away from the river enjoying their view of the Prague Castle. It was one of those low key nights. They were drinking their favourite beverages not needing to compel the bar tender, he believed they were of age and after all who wouldn't – they had both been nearly 18 when they were turned. In the background they heard fans shouting at the TV watching some hockey match their national team was playing. It seemed surreal, but nice. _

_A gust of wind announced a new customer. She walked inside and looked around taking in all the details of the bar choosing her next victim. As her eyes scanned the customers at the bar stools she froze. She wasn't the only vampire in there. Slowly but steadily she made her way towards the two vampires wanting to get acquainted. She hadn't seen another one of her kind in several weeks and was feeling slightly lonely. _

_Clack. Clack. Her heals announced her presence and Stefan and Caroline turned around to stare at her. They took in her appearance: long black hair, slim body and brown eyes. She didn't spark their interest and so they started turning around away from her until her voice broke the silence._

"_Ahoj. Jsem Marie." She started speaking in Czech._

_When the two vampires in front of her furrowed their brows she knew they hadn't understood her. She tried once more this time in English, after all everyone spoke English._

"_Hi. I'm Mary."_

"_Pleased to meet you. I'm Stefan and this is Caroline." Stefan answered her politely signalling to Caroline. They had no idea who she was but as they couldn't hear any blood pumping in her body they knew she was a vampire._

_She sat down on the stool next to Stefan and ordered a coke and vodka before turning her attention back to Stefan and Caroline. _

"_I presume you are new in town seeing as I haven't seen either of you before or heard of you for that matter." She winked at them signalling that she knew what they were._

"_We arrived two days ago." Caroline answered her tone hard. She didn't like the girl's tone when talking about their reputation. They didn't need to kill to get blood so of course she hadn't heard of them. _

"_Two days ago?" She asked them surprised. "Wow. Have you not fed during that time or are you those types of vampires that drink from blood bags." She finished in disgust. _

"_We don't need to kill to eat." Stefan answered her simply. He could see how upset Caroline was getting, she didn't like others mentioning killing and human blood. She was Caroline the almost completely innocent vampire and his sober sponsor and she didn't want to be tempted or have him tempted. _

"_So, how long are you planning on staying here? I haven't seen anyone of my kind in several weeks so I'd like to enjoy my time with you while you're here. The last vampire I saw was some female called Katherine, but she stayed here for just a few days. It was bizarre really. We were in a club partying together when suddenly her phone rang, her face changed and she ran off. Haven't seen her since." She stopped realizing she was rambling. _

_Stefan and Caroline turned to look at each other. Without knowing it, the girl had just mentioned Katherine, the biggest thorn in their side. With their interest peeked they wanted to know more. Neither had seen Katherine in a very long time._

"_Strange. A vampire on the run, not something you see very often." Caroline stated wanting to hear more. _

"_Yeah. I know. At first I thought she may be __**the**__ Katherine. But probably not. It would be a hell of a coincidence."_

"_**The**__ Katherine?" Stefan asked._

"_Oh do you not know of __**the**__ Katherine?" She looked at them and they simultaneously shook their heads. _

"_Sorry, we don't."_

"_Wow, after 500 years on the run I assumed everyone knew her. She was the first doppelganger, the girl everyone thought could break the sun and the moon curse we believed to be the reason vampires can't walk out in the day without being burnt. Turns out she was the key to breaking another course. One of the originals needed her to break it so that he could turn into the original hybrid. But she ran and turned into a vampire rendering herself completely useless to him. He's been hunting her ever since. Oh, if only it had been her, I could have caught her and given her to Klaus. That would put me in the good graces of the most powerful hybrid in the world." She continued as in a trance imagining bringing Katherine to Klaus. _

_Caroline focused her eyes on Mary. The way she spoke of Klaus made her stomach boil almost as if she were jealous. The girl obviously had a crush on Klaus and for some reason it unnerved her. _

"_We have heard of Klaus before, but honestly if I were you I'd be glad not having to go to him. He seems like a sadistic, evil psychopath." Caroline told her trying to confirm her suspicions. _

"_He is a sadistic, evil psychopath, don't get me wrong, but the power I would have if I were in his good graces would be immense. I could learn from him all the different techniques of earning power and control. If only I could massacre like him so that I would be feared and have others do my biding."_

"_Massacre? I haven't heard of any massacres in over 10 years." Caroline couldn't help herself. She hoped Mary spoke of the past, of the time before she had met Klaus, of the time before he had shown her his humanity. However he hopes were shattered by one simple sentence. _

"_Then you must be living in a shell because it was only two months ago that he slaughtered two of the most powerful witch families in the world simply because they couldn't find someone he was searching for. I presume he was looking for either Katherine or his original sister Rebekah."_

_Caroline couldn't help stop the pain she felt. He hadn't changed._

Caroline started panicking. How could she be so stupid? She had given Klaus, the monster, the murderer, the psychopath, the green light. She had literally just signed her death sentence. She knew a week wasn't a long time, but she knew it would be enough for him. After thinking about him for 50 years she wouldn't be able to resist him. She should just call it off immediately.

Determined to stop the inevitable she grabbed her phone and called Stefan. He picked up on the first ring.

"Caroline? Are you ok? I can't find you anywhere." He asked her his voice full of worry.

"Don't worry Stef, I went home. I was actually hoping you could help me with something. Are you still at the ball?"

"Yeah. What do you need?"

"Can you ask Rebekah to give me Klaus's phone number? I um need to talk to him." Caroline told him shyly. She knew her best friend would support her no matter what she did, but she knew how worried he would be and didn't want to put him in that position.

"Care, are you sure? If you talk to him there won't be any going back."

"I saw him at the ball and we already talked which is why I need his number. Can you please get it and send it to me?"

"I'll send it right away. I'll see you later. And Care?"

"Yes?"

"Be careful."

Stefan hung up the phone and went to find Rebekah. It didn't take him long to find her dancing on the floor in Klaus's arms. He decided to wait till the end of the song to interrupt them but as soon as Klaus saw him he stopped dancing and holding Rebekah's hand he walked towards him.

"Stefan. How lovely to see you. I can't say I'm surprised though." He looked at Rebekah pointedly. "My sister never could stay away from you for very long."

Stefan decided to ignore Klaus's comment even though he was pleased to hear Klaus say that Rebekah missed him and instead decided to fulfil Caroline's wishes.

"Klaus. I spoke to Caroline and she told me to get her your phone number."

Klaus's eyes widened. Why would Caroline want his number?

"Why?" He asked desperately.

"I don't know." He answered honestly. "She didn't tell me why. She just asked me to text her your phone number. So can I have it?"

"Of course. Here." He passed Stefan a piece of paper on which he had written his phone number. "I have to go. Rebekah, don't forget our deal."

"Don't worry I already took care of it. She should get it around midnight."

…

Caroline's phone beeped once signalling a new message. She looked at it and saw it was Stefan. That was quick. She had assumed Rebekah would be reluctant to give her Klaus's phone number especially given their history, but it seems as though that hadn't been the case.

As she started to dial Klaus's number she heard the bell ring. She went to open it but nobody was there. A package caught her eye just as she heard Klaus's voice from her phone.

"Hello sweetheart. I'm pleased to see you calling me." Caroline shivered at the mere sound of his voice.

"Klaus. I need to talk to you. I…" She stopped talking as she opened the box. Inside was a beautiful blue gown. Suddenly she was annoyed. She had wanted to tell him that the deal was off, that she wouldn't give him a week to woo her, but as she stared at his gift all she could think about were his words from the night of her tragic birthday: "Genuine beauty." Her resolve melted. She had spoken to him only two hours ago and here he was immediately trying his best to win her.

"Do you like the dress love?" He loved the colour blue on her, it brought out her eyes, but he wasn't sure she actually liked it.

"I … It's beautiful. When did you…?"

"After you left this evening. I hope you will do me the honour of wearing it tomorrow on our date."

Caroline signed. How could she bail on him now when he was being so nice?

"You know I own a quite a few dresses, right? You don't need to buy me any." She asked him. She wouldn't give up so easily.

"Of course. But you gave me a week to court you and in my time presents were always given to demonstrate our affections."

Caroline was distressed but knew the battle was lost.

"Fine. I'll wear it tomorrow, but you need to stop buying me gifts. I can't be bought." She told him, a steal tone in her voice.

"I know. I'll pick you up in the morning at 10." He told her.

"Wait. Is this going to be an all-day thing?" She asked.

"Yes. I have big plans for tomorrow. I'll see you tomorrow sweetheart. Goodnight."

He hung the phone up and smiled at her expression. It was priceless. He could see anger but something else too, something that resembled a smile.

He turned around and headed towards his house, already nervous about the day ahead of him.

**So that's it for this chapter. I hope you guys liked it. I know it wasn't their date or anything, but I wanted to show you why Caroline was and still is slightly reluctant to embrace whatever feelings she has for Klaus. **

**Next chapter will be all about their date.**

**I also wanted to know if you guys wanted me to do a chapter with the Rebekah/Stefan talk.**

**Don't forget to comment.**

**Until next time. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**So I'm sorry it's been a while since the last update but I've had exams and needed to study. Anyway here is the first part of their date. I added a short scene with Stefan and Rebekah as some of you requested. If you like it don't forget to tell me and I will include more scenes with the two of them. **

**There has also been a request to do a flashback to when Klaus found out Caroline was gone. I hadn't thought about it, but it does seem like a good idea so I will write it in as the story progresses. **

**Hope you enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer I do not and will probably never own TVD.**

Stefan stood beside Rebekah watching Klaus leave. As soon as he was sure Klaus couldn't hear them he turned to look at Rebekah his eyes wide.

"What was that about?" he asked her.

"Oh you know." She smiled. "Just my brother's infatuation with Caroline. She gave him a chance as you are probably aware of already and this is him giving his best shot at his first ever relationship."

"His first relationship? Didn't he have something with Tatia? I heard your mother sacrificed her just to stop Elijah and Klaus from fighting over her."

"It's true, but looking back I don't think Klaus cared for her very much. Their romance was mainly fuelled by jealousy. Anyway he wanted Caroline to have something beautiful to wear tomorrow for their date and asked me to use my magic fingers to get it delivered as soon as possible. I'm sure he would have been perfectly capable of doing it himself, so I think he just wanted to show me that he appreciated my meddling. To be honest I'm actually glad. It's been centuries since I got him to dance with me." She looked at the dance floor, her eyes sad, as she thought about the past.

It had been her that Klaus cared about the most for the past several centuries and yet now, she was being replaced. Though she still didn't like Caroline she knew how miserable her brother was missing her and so she set them up. Even though she knew Klaus wouldn't be able to resist Caroline, she had hoped he would wait at least a few days before he started pursuing her. Oh, how wrong she had been. Though she had her brother back, he was gone.

Stefan sensing her misery, tried to swoop in as the gentleman he always thought he was. He would do this for her. If she wanted to dance, she would dance.

He extended his hand to her and as she looked up at him surprised he asked "May I have this dance?"

Her lips turned up as she smiled at him accepting his request. "Of course it would be my pleasure."

He led her towards the dance floor and took her into his arms. Slowly they began rocking to the beat of the music, her arms wrapped around his neck and his around her waist. With their bodies pressed against each other they gazed into each other's eyes. The moment was perfect and they hoped it would last.

…

Caroline woke up with her alarm at 7 o'clock. Glad she seemed to have survived the night without any more nightmares, she went to take a shower. She had three hours to prepare and she wouldn't waste a minute. A half an hour later, Caroline stood in front of the mirror curling her hair. She knew how much Klaus like it wavy and seeing as she was trying to impress him, curling it seemed completely natural. Minutes later satisfied with the soft blond curls falling down her shoulders, she went to pick out her shoes. She didn't need to worry about her outfit seeing as she had already promised him she would wear the blue gown, but her shoes were something completely different. They had to be sophisticated and comfortable but most importantly they had to compliment the dress. She settled on a pair of white heels that accentuated her long legs. Klaus would love it, of that she was sure. With her make up done perfectly she went to the kitchen to grab a blood bag.

At ten o'clock her doorbell rang.

She took a deep breath, checked her appearance in the mirror one more time and opened the door. She couldn't help the small gasp that escaped her lips as she took in his appearance. He stood outside her door wearing a black and white suit with a light blue tie looking like a Greek God. She couldn't help but stare at him in wonder.

He smiled at her his wolfy grin and she smiled back at him as he said sincerely: "You look incredible sweetheart. The dress looks beautiful on you."

He couldn't help but feel pleased; though he knew Caroline would look great in anything she wore, the dress really fit her perfectly: It accentuated her little waist and showed off her long legs as well as her cleavage. She was a sight for sore eyes.

"Thank you. I must say you look great too, the tie really does suit you." She told him making sure he understood she had noticed.

He had hoped she wouldn't read into the blue tie, but he knew it was in vain. Of course she would notice that he had tried to colour coordinate with her. She never missed any detail.

"Shall we?" He asked her holding out his hand.

He looked at her pleased as she took it without any hesitation.

"Where are we going?" She wondered.

"Well first, we'll visit one of the most famous art galleries in London." His eyes sparkled as he answered her and she wondered about the reason.

The journey was mainly silent but not unpleasant. Klaus had turned on the radio to one of his favourite stations and they listened to a jazz song, both lost in their thoughts. Caroline was remembering the night of the 20s dance. She thought about their dance and their conversation. At that time, she didn't believe he was capable of love, she thought his infatuation would end as soon as he got what he wanted. She remembered his words and her reaction at them:

"_I'm leaving town tomorrow. I'd invite you to come with me but we both know you're not ready to accept my offer. Perhaps one day, in a year or even in a century, you'll turn up at my door and let me show you what the world has to offer. "_

She had practically laughed at him; she couldn't believe his nerve. As if he thought she would buy his act. As if she would think that he actually cared. But now looking back as she reanalysed his words, she realized it was the first time he mentioned that he would wait for her. It made her smile.

Soon they arrived at the … Art Gallery.

He turned off the engine and got out of the car flashing to the other side to open Caroline's door. At first she was surprised at his behaviour, but it suited him.

"Thank you." She said looking up at him.

"You're welcome love." He answered her. "Shall we?" He asked extending his arm towards her.

She linked her arm in his and together they headed towards the gallery.

"I've arranged for us to have a private tour."

"Arranged? Does that mean compelled?"

"Actually no. I knew you would disapprove of me compelling the staff, so I called them late last night and I made an agreement with the owner."

She turned to look at him, her eyes staring into his, trying to see any traces of a lie. She gave up soon. It seems as though he spoke the truth.

"Wow. I can't believe you would do that. But thank you, I'm glad. Though you do know that we didn't need our own private tour?"

"Of course we do." He turned towards her. "You deserve the best and you shall receive the best."

"Just don't forget you can't buy me."

"I know." He paused. "That's why I like you."

Once again he opened and held the door for her as they entered the gallery. As soon as they stepped inside they were surrounded by waiters offering them beverages. Caroline couldn't stop the small smile that appeared on her face, he always was classy. Accepting two glasses of champagne they headed towards the display.

"So, where is our guide? I don't believe he would be late, especially not with you reserving the gallery." She looked at him innocently. She had already guesses who the guide would be, but couldn't resist playing with him.

He looked at her and decided to play her game.

"I don't know. But if he doesn't show up soon, I might feel inclined to get him fired."

"Oh. I don't think you have that much power. I can't imagine the owner would listen to a man instead of a woman, and I would never let you get someone fired."

"Sweetheart, I paid a lot of money for this place, if I ask for something they will do it."

"You underestimate my influence. I can be very, very persuasive when I want to be." She said winking at him.

His breath caught in his throat as she flirted with him. He was overcome with joy.

"Oh don't worry; I can only **imagine** the power you hold."

Caroline blushed, her cheeks filling with colour. He looked at her taking in every detail of her face; she looked mesmerising. Klaus looked at his watch, checking the time.

"I guess it's safe to say the guide isn't coming. I guess I'll have to take his place." He sighed.

"How inconvenient."

"I know love, but what can we do. You'll just have to put up with me."

"Lead the way."

They spent several hours going from one painting to another as Klaus told her all about the art, the history and the artists, most of which he knew personally. His eyes were bright as he enjoyed one of the best moments of his life. To be able to share his biggest passion with Caroline was a dream.

Towards the end of the tour, Klaus started getting nervous. Caroline noticed after a while and wondered what it was about. Then finally they stopped before the very last room.

"This is the last of our destinations. It's my favourite room in this art gallery. Now, I won't tell you anything about the artist, the history and the art, I'll let you discover it all by yourself." He looked at her worriedly.

She stepped into the room and started wondering around.

_Why would Klaus not tell her anything about this art? Why would he be worried about her reaction? No! That's not possible! Is he the artist honoured in this part of the gallery? _

She turned to ask him, but as she saw his eyes on her, she stopped. There was a reason why he didn't tell her, why he wanted her to find out on her own.

She stopped at the first painting. It was a picture of a black stallion in a battlefield. Just looking at him she could feel the power radiating off of it. It looked magnificent overshadowing everything in the background: the fighting, the injured, the dead.

"Was this your horse?" She asked him still looking at the painting.

"Yes. I happened to be in France during the French Revolution, so I decided to join in." He remembered that time. The moments spent there were considered some of his favourite. He spent the days killing and fighting alongside the revolutionists and the nights feeding off of the monarchists. He had wanted to remember the revolution and so he had decided to imprint the events on paper. Memories fade but art never does.

"What was it like? I don't know that much about that time."

"It was incredible. Out of all the wars I have witnessed, this is one of my favourites."

"Why?" She asked genuinely curious.

"It was one of the only wars I recall during which the population wasn't forced to fight. They did it willingly, ready to die for a cause. Most civil wars were like that, but never on such a scale."

She turned around and headed towards the image next to it – it was a drawing of an old house made of wood. She looked at the date and froze – there in bold numbers she read 975.

Klaus turned around from the first painting to look for Caroline. He knew she had moved on to another piece, he just didn't know which one. He caught her staring, her eyes wide, at the one picture left that he had drawn as a human. It was a drawing of his family's house back from before they were turned. It represented his youth. It wasn't a place he liked to remember, but it was a place that gave him strength – his hate for Mikael fuelled his life the first few centuries. After spending years of his life tortured by him, his survival instincts developed and he no longer felt fear for Mikael, only hatred. For the last 50 years however, ever since he killed Mikael, he'd been free – free to do as he pleased without worrying about consequences.

"Is this…?" Caroline asked interrupting his thoughts.

"It's where we lived as humans." He answered. "It's the only image left that captures our lives before we were turned. I forgot it was on display here."

Had he known, he never would have let her see it. It showed his weakness and nobody should ever see him weak. He was no longer the man that drew the picture, but still he didn't like what it represented.

"It's beautiful. It's evident you were incredibly talented."

"Were?" he asked mocking her, but still slightly worried.

"You know what I mean. I thought art was a skill you picked up as a vampire. I guess I was wrong." She smiled at him. She wanted to ask him about his life back then, but seeing how tense he was, she closed her mouth and went towards the end of the room.

Inspecting every painting, every drawing and every sculpture without any comments, she made her way towards the last door. She opened it and stepped inside. As soon as her eyes caught sight of the only painting on the wall she froze. It was a painting if her.

**So that's it for this chapter. I hope you guys liked it. I've already started writing the next chapter so it should be up on Friday. **

**Don't forget to review or suggest any ideas, because I write only to please.**

**Until next time.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello everyone, I'm sorry it took so long but I haven't had any internet connection for the last week and a half. Anyway I hope you enjoy it.**

**Chapter 5**

Inspecting every painting, every drawing and every sculpture without any comments, she made her way towards the last door. She opened it and stepped inside. As soon as her eyes caught sight of the only painting on the wall she froze. It was a painting if her.

She looked at it tears in her eyes. It was her, during the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant her senior year at the Lockwood Manner. She remembered the day clearly: Elena panicking looking for Jeremy, Stefan brooding over his brake up with Elena, Damon positively glowing as he had Elena all to himself, Tyler pretending to be on a date with Hayley, that werewolf traitor who was hopefully dead, and of course her, on her first date with Klaus.

She had been furious at having to attend with him as her date, but with her and Tyler pretending to be broken up, she needed a date and she had after all agreed to go out with him, while bargaining for one of his hybrids. However despite everything, all the drama, she had had a good time. He had been the perfect date.

She had often tried to convince herself that it wasn't a date; it was after all just a deal she had made with him. But here it was, proof, that it had indeed been a date, their very first date. She wouldn't count the times she had distracted him as a date, because it was just that, a distraction. But with every distraction she had learnt something new about him, had seen a piece of humanity inside of him, until suddenly she didn't want to distract him anymore. She didn't want to play him; it was rude, mean and most importantly unfair to him, she shouldn't use his feelings to get what she wanted.

She looked around the room for Klaus and saw him leaning in the doorway his eyes observing her. She could tell he was worried about her reaction, but he had wanted her to see the painting nonetheless, after all he was a man of actions and not of words.

He had brought her to this gallery in hope of showing her not only a good time, but that he really did care. He still remembered her expression of shock and wonder when he showed her his art, and so he had decided to develop her artistic knowledge. This gallery was his favourite because of the painting of Caroline however it was his most detested one too, for the very same reason. At times it felt great to visit and remember his time with her, but at others it was just a reminder that she wasn't with him - that she had run off. He still remembered the day as if it were yesterday.

_He had left her a picture in her car while she was inside the house talking to the doppelganger. He heard them discussing the cure, but seeing as he already knew everything that had happened from his sister, he decided not to eavesdrop and just leave. Caroline would find the painting soon enough and then he would ask her about it. If only he had known she would leave, he would have stayed. _

_It was later that day that he decided to visit Caroline at her home. She hadn't called or confronted him about breaking into her car. She had simply ignored it. It didn't seem like her, she always expressed her opinions whether he liked them or not. She didn't lie or hide behind her words like others, it was one of the reasons he liked her, so why was she suddenly silent now? _

_He had rung the bell and waited patiently for her to open the door. He stood there for a good five minutes until he decided to try again. He had considered the option of breaking in to get her to talk to him, but it didn't seem like the best idea, so he decided against it. He had almost given up waiting when he heard footsteps coming towards the door. He smoothed his hair nervously as the door started opening. However instead of Caroline, it revealed the one and only Sheriff Forbes. _

_She was shocked to see him as he had only ever been once to her house before (as far as she knew) – the night he had been invited in when he went to give Caroline his blood. She quickly recovered and her expression turned from shocked to sour. With a glare she asked him: "What are you doing here?" her tone hard. She was in no mood to deal with him. Caroline had left a few hours before and she was still upset. _

"_I was trying to reach Caroline." He answered confidently, determined not to show the sheriff just how much he wanted to see her._

"_She isn't here. In fact she won't be back for a long time. The last I heard, she and Stefan were leaving Mystic Falls for a while. If you want to talk to her, you'll have to try her cell. Goodbye Klaus." _

_With those words she closed the door. She didn't want to see the emotion on his face. She had heard that Caroline had been used to distract him on several occasions because he apparently fancied her, but until today, she didn't believe it. _

_Klaus's world was tearing apart. She had left. He wouldn't see her, or hear her voice again. NO! He had had to catch her, talk to her and hopefully convince her to either come back or leave with HIM, not Stefan, HIM. If he didn't know just how enamoured Stefan was with the doppelganger, he would have been jealous – or at least even more jealous than now. He was sure nothing would happen between them, but he still felt jealous as he thought of them – Stefan would get to see the beauty, talk to her, travel with her, while he would have nothing. _

_He started racing towards the Salvatore Boarding House. Perhaps they were still there, Stefan packing his things as they said goodbye to their friends. Maybe she would call him too. However hope left him quickly as he reached his destination. He could hear only one person and it sure as hell wasn't Caroline. Without bothering to knock he raced inside and grabbed hold of Damon's neck before he could react. _

"_Where are they?" Klaus asked nearly shouting._

"_They left. Long gone by now." Damon answered him in a whisper, unable to breathe as Klaus choked him._

"_Where did they go to?" Klaus growled. _

"_Sorry can't tell you." Damon answered trying to keep him voice calm._

"_Where did they go to?" Klaus asked one more time trying to compel Damon._

"_I can't be compelled, besides they didn't tell me or anyone as far as I know. Something about not wanting to be followed." Damon told Klaus, his lips turning into a grin. He didn't understand all the secrecy before, but now it made perfect sense. "I guess Blondie didn't want you to follow her." He added with a smirk._

_Suddenly he felt Klaus's hand at the sides of his head and then everything went dark. _

_Klaus tried to process what he had just heard. She had left and didn't want to be found. She had left like everyone else, like Rebekah who had gone to France after telling him about what had happened on the island. He was alone, once again. His loneliness had always bothered him, but this time, it was unbearable. He would find Caroline no matter how long it took. He would always find her. _

They looked at each other for a few minutes afraid to break the silence.

"It's beautiful, but **very** inaccurate. I'm not flawless. Not even close." Caroline started. She couldn't take the silence any longer; it was one thing she absolutely hated.

"Sweetheart, you don't see yourself clearly. You're right in saying that it's inaccurate, but only because no matter how many times I try, I can never completely capture your beauty."

She was stunned. Did he really see her that way? She looked at him trying to see any sign of deceit, but finding none she decided to believe him, after all he had always been honest with her, whether she liked it or not.

"Why?" She asked.

"I'm sorry love I don't know what you're asking." What did she mean? Why what?

"Why is the painting here? I'm not surprised you painted this, you are talented and apparently like doing pictures of me, but why is it on display? And why here of all places?" She demanded.

He had two choices, either tell her the truth: that he couldn't keep it with him while travelling because it reminded him that she wasn't by his side therefore making him lonely, or lie. He decided neither would do; he couldn't lie to her but because he didn't want for her to see his insecurities he decided to completely avoid the question.

"I'm talented? Thank you. I do happen to take pride in my work."

She frowned; he was avoiding the question for some reason. Well she wouldn't give up that easily.

"You already know you are talented, so please stop avoiding the question." She tried again.

He knew she was stubborn but he had hoped she would let this one go. Just this once, but no, she never let things go.

He signed with defeat, "It's in the particular gallery because several of my pieces are on display here. When I cofounded the Whitechapel Gallery in the middle of the 20th century I thought it was a great idea to donate a few of my pieces and so here they are. Your painting however, is a different story. It's the only painting in this room to demonstrate its significance. Everybody that visit's must understand the importance of the muse." He stopped himself. Perhaps she was satisfied with his answer.

He peeked at her only to see her looking at him, her mouth in a tight line. With a hand on her waist, her posture screamed unsatisfied and so he continued.

"I put this painting here a few years after you had left. I worked on it for several days after the event and when I was finished I hung it up on the wall in the manor. When you left Mystic Falls and I tried to find you, I packed it with everything else and wherever I went it came with me. After a few years though, when my search had no results I was losing hope. Katarina had evaded me for over 500 years so what if you managed to do the same. I knew I wouldn't give up, ever, but 500 years is a lot for someone all alone. So I decided to leave it in a place I could visit, but a place that wasn't so close that I would return frequently only to remind myself you weren't with me. It's also one of the reasons why we're here today: after all the time I spent here all alone, I wanted… I don't really know what I wanted, I just knew that you had to see the one place that had brought me happiness and hope but also misery during my search for you." He kept his eyes on her the whole time he spoke, carefully analysing her every movement, waiting for any indication that he should stop, but as he found none, he continued telling her the truth. He wanted her to know how important she was to him, but it was always something he wasn't very good at.

Caroline looked down embarrassed, had she known what he would reveal, she would have never asked him. Though she was glad to know he had looked for her and was prepared to do so for a long time, it hurt her to hear about his pain – the pain that she inflicted upon him. Despite her brain shouting protests at her, she went up to him and pulled him into a hug. She wouldn't apologise, she couldn't; leaving had been the right thing to do, but she could show him that his confession meant something to her.

As she wrapped her arms around him, she felt him stiffen for a second before he relaxed. He wrapped his arms around her too and clung to her as if his life depended on it. It was a perfect moment and he never wanted it to end. Too soon she pulled away smiling at him.

"So, what's on the agenda for the rest of the afternoon?" She asked.

"Well I wouldn't call it the afternoon anymore, we did spend a lot of time here and it is 6 o'clock." He teased her.

She looked at her phone. It couldn't be 6. She stared at the little screen in shock as she read: 5:57pm. She had spent the entire day with Klaus and hadn't even realised it. She was having too much of a good time to notice the time passing – apparently it's true what they say: time really does fly when you're having fun.

He chuckled at her reaction pleased. "For the evening, I have planned for us to go out to dinner and then I have a surprise for you."

"Surprise?" She asked her voice giving off her annoyance.

"Of course. But don't worry I'm sure you'll enjoy it." Correction, he hoped she would enjoy it. "Shall we?" He asked her holding out his arm.

She took it and he beamed. He had to be doing something right.

…

As they parked in front of the restaurant, Klaus repeated his previous actions – before she could react he stood outside her door opening it for her.

They walked arm in arm towards the restaurant until they reached the door. One of the waiters opened it for them and Klaus moved his hand to signal to her to lead the way.

"Ladies first." He told her.

She entered the restaurant and couldn't help but be mesmerised by what she saw. It had to be one of the most lavish restaurants in the world. While travelling with Stefan she had eaten in many five star restaurants all over the world, but they were nothing compared to this one. She couldn't even see any of the guests, but she knew they were there as she could hear them with her vampire hearing.

"A party of two?" The waiter asked them.

"We have reservations under the name Mikaelson." Klaus told him, his eyes never leaving Caroline.

"Of course, right this way."

Opening glass doors, the waiter led them to a salon with a chandelier and mirrors all over the walls. Once again words failed her at the sight. She hadn't even noticed her mouth was open in awe until she heard Klaus chuckle. She closed it embarrassed but he just laughed.

"Your waiter will be with you in a moment."

Caroline waited until they were alone before she spoke.

"I must say this is incredible. We haven't even tried the food or the drinks and I already believe this is the best restaurant I've ever been to." She praised the restaurant. It was true, it probably was the best restaurant she had ever been to, but she preferred others much less extravagant. She liked to feel at home and this was anything but that.

Klaus walked up to her and pulled out her chair. As she sat down he tucked it inside like a gentleman. She couldn't help but laugh.

"This is all great, but you shouldn't do this. I might get used to it and become spoilt." She told him.

He smiled glad she liked what he was doing. "This is only the beginning love. You deserve to be treated as a queen and I intend to treat you as one."

**So I hope you guys liked it. I'm on holidays from today so the updates should be more frequent and luckily there is no longer the danger of no internet. **

**Please don't forget to review because I love reading your comments and they do motivate me to continue with the story. **

**Last but not least, I'm looking for a beta if anyone of you is interested just PM me.**

**Until next time**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Okay so I would really like to apologise for the long wait. I thought being on holidays would help me speed up the story but it seems as though I was wrong. Anyway I would like to thank everyone who reviewed it mean a lot. Hope you enjoy the next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD.**

They spent their time at the restaurant talking about all the different places they had visited and the ones they want to visit again. Klaus was slightly upset that she had already been to so many places without him, but as he heard her excited voice while talking about them he dismissed his melancholy – she will visit them again but this time with him and she will love every single minute of it. He always kept his word and he had promised to take Caroline all over the world and so he would.

When they ordered their food, Caroline couldn't help but laugh at Klaus who seemed to want to show off in front of her his language skills. When he ordered a typical but of course expensive French meal he spoke in fluent French. It was entertaining for her but at the same time embarrassing as she still couldn't speak French. She had learnt Spanish during the many years she spent in South America and Spain, but French seemed too hard.

He had seen her reaction when he spoke French and couldn't help but wonder what it was about. He decided to ask her.

"Caroline, is something wrong?" He asked.

"No. It's just that I still haven't learnt how to speak French. It's just too hard."

He smiled already forming a plan.

"I could teach you, you know? And not just French, I have been around a long time so I can speak many languages." He proposed hoping she would take him up on his offer.

"Well I have learnt Spanish." She answered defending her honour. "But I might be interested in your offer. We'll see."

When they had both finished their meals and their drinks, Klaus called for the waiter asking him to bring him the check.

Caroline had to stare. She was sure that no matter how much he wanted to impress her he would compel the staff so as not to have to pay. Apparently she was wrong.

"What…?" He started but then seeing her expression stopped. She was looking at him in wonder and disbelief. He immediately connected the dots together. "You know, I do own a lot of businesses all over the world, so I do have money. I don't need to compel everything for free."

Caroline blushed. She had not only embarrassed herself but offended him.

"I didn't mean …"

"Don't forget the one unspoken rule we always had, no lies." He cut it.

"It's just that I didn't want to offend you. I just always assumed you had better things to do with your time than to make money and even if you had the money, I thought that you had more important things and people to spend it on." Caroline stopped. She had realised the insecure human Caroline was making her way towards the surface again. She didn't like who she had been as a human and she wouldn't become that person again.

"You are important love. Now why don't we get out of here so you can find out what your surprise is?" He asked changing the topic even though he wanted nothing more than to reassure her just how much she meant. But he wouldn't do that – not only would he scare her, he didn't want to admit just how important she was to him.

Half an hour later, they arrived in front of a theatre. She read the name and tried to remember if she had ever heard of it. She came up blank. Strange, she thought she knew all theatres in England. Seeing as she loved going to see plays, she made a habit of visiting every single theatre in every single country just to make sure she saw everything.

"We're going to see a play?" She asked.

"From my extensive research into your hobbies, I found seeing plays as the most important one. I do have to admit though, I had no idea you like plays so much."

"We rarely got to see one in Mystic Falls and when we did I went to see every single show. Nobody could understand why I sat several times through the same play, but I just loved it. It didn't matter how many times I saw the same actors saying the same lines, it was always different. Their tones were different, as were their movements and the crowd always reacted differently. It was magnificent and so when I could finally visit cities where theatres were common, I made a habit to see every single one of the plays in every single theatre. Though I haven't heard of this one – it must be either very new or very exclusive."

He smiled for she seemed excited.

"It's been here for the past 150 years, but only a few know of its existence. It's always been this secret theatre for the most enthusiastic fans of theatre. However, us going to see a play is not even the surprise, though I'm glad you like the idea. The real surprise is what we're watching." He teased her. She was always curious so she would ask him about the play, or so he thought.

She didn't disappoint: "What are we going to see?" She asked.

"No. No. It's a surprise love; I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise now would I?" He asked her.

They sat down in their seats and Caroline was pleased to find that they wouldn't be alone in the crowd. It wouldn't be the same without a live audience.

"So you really aren't going to tell me what we're going to see?"

"No. But don't worry you'll know soon enough."

As the play started her excitement but annoyance turned to shock. She couldn't believe it. She had tried to find her favourite movie of all time portrayed as a play, but she hadn't had any success and yet here it was – Gone with the wind.

She wanted to ask him, how it was possible, but knew she shouldn't talk during the play and so she just sat back and enjoyed the show.

Klaus watched her from the corner of his eyes, waiting for her reaction. He was pleased when he saw the look of shock on her face being replaced by one of joy. It was all worth it.

He had found out her favourite movie way before she had left Mystic Falls. When she had told him the morning of the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant that she thought their date would be to the cinema, he looked for the perfect movie for them to see just in case. While interrogating several of her peers, he found out about her love for the movie. He planned on taking her to see it when suddenly he no longer could. He didn't have the possibility to persuade her to go with him to the cinema, when she wasn't within his reach.

A few years later, when he had stumbled upon her track he had heard she went to see several plays. Even though he didn't manage to find her on time, he had learnt some new valuable information. Since then he had made sure that this theatre would always be prepared to portray Gone with the wind. After all what could be better that a combination of the two things she adored? Even though it took a lot of time and energy to make sure the play did the movie justice, it was all worth it.

Caroline sat back watching the show. Never in her life had she been happier. It was incredible how hard he was trying and although she didn't want to admit it yet, if he continued to woo her as he had today she would be his after a week.

…

Their journey home was nothing like the previous two. They talked about the play, laughed and discussed her other hobbies. Klaus wanted to make sure what he had planned would fit her perfectly. Towards the end of the trip however he noticed she had started to get nervous.

"Is something wrong?" He asked.

"No." She paused. She knew he would continue asking until she told him what was wrong, but she didn't want to tell him that she was nervous about their goodbye for the night. Was she supposed to kiss him or hug him or nothing at all?

He looked at her sensing her discomfort and for once he let it slide.

When they arrived, they walked arm in arm towards the door. As they reached it, Caroline turned towards him still unsure how to end the night.

Seeing her hesitation, Klaus decided to act upon his thought. He leaned in towards her and as he saw her eyes widen in shock, instead of kissing her lips he softly pressed his lips to her cheek.

"I'll see you tomorrow Caroline." He said as he started retreating towards his car.

Caroline stared at him. Was this for real? She had thought he would kiss her and yet he acted as a perfect gentleman and decided to wait. It was nothing she had ever experienced. Matt, Tyler, Damon and all the other boys she had gone out with had kissed her on their first date and in a few cases even before. She was glad they hadn't kissed because she wanted to be sure of her decision before she attached herself to him, but she couldn't help but feel slightly unwanted. Why would he not kiss her? Wasn't that what he wanted?

"Caroline." She heard a familiar voice behind as the door opened. "Are you coming in? Or are you planning on camping on the front porch?" Stefan teased her.

She snapped out of her thoughts.

"Yeah I'm coming in."

She walked inside dragging her feet. She knew Stefan would immediately ask her about her day so she flashed to her room to take a shower before facing him. She would tell him everything later, but for now she needed to think about everything herself.

Stefan sat on the couch, a drink in his hand as he waited for Caroline. He knew he should probably give her space, but he didn't want her getting hurt and so he would ask her about it. Though he knew Caroline had liked Klaus for some time even though she never really told him, he was also certain she would be reluctant to start something with him. She wasn't the one who had been searching for a certain original for the past 50 years. That was him.

"_Rebekah." He whispered. After all this time he couldn't believe she was standing right in front of him. He looked at her, taking in every detail, her long, straight, shiny blond hair twisted into a braid at the side of her neck, her red sleeveless gown that hugged her curves in all the right places emphasising her petite figure, her white gloves that came up to her elbow. She was beautiful and looking at her he couldn't regret all the time he spent looking for her. _

_She smiled at him shyly waiting for him to speak. _

"_I can't believe you're here. After all this time I finally found you."_

_She was taken aback by his words. She had heard Stefan had searched for her shortly after she had left Mystic Falls, but she never knew why. She had hoped it was because he cared for her, but after a thousand years of deceit and broken hearts she couldn't believe in it completely. Yet here he was the joy evident on his face and he stared at her._

"_Well technically I found you. After all you are attending my ball." She smirked._

"_But why did you invite me? I thought you were avoiding me." He asked._

"_I was at first. But you have to understand that I was upset. The cure didn't exist and so my chance at being human was non-existent. Plus I thought you would be too busy comforting Elena to even notice my absence and even if you noticed it wouldn't be for the reasons I wanted. I left because I was in despair and I knew that staying in Mystic Falls would only increase my melancholy. So I took off to travel once again." She didn't want to tell Stefan everything but she owed it to him. _

"_What reasons?" Stefan asked._

_Seriously? Thought Rebekah. Out of everything she said he picked up on the one thing that exposed her feelings._

"_Oh you know. I thought you just wanted a bed-buddy."_

"_I did at first, but when you left I realised I liked you." He stopped for a dramatic pause, waiting for her reaction. "I like you." _

_With those three simple words Rebekah threw herself into his arms and kissed him. She pulled back after a little while to look at him. The corners of his mouth turned upwards into a smile. As they stared into each other's eyes they could see the lust but also the love in the other's eyes. _

_As Rebekah's eyes travelled to look at his lips, he pulled her closer and they started kissing. There would be time to talk later, but now, they needed to feel each other. _

Caroline descended the staircase slowly taking her time. As soon as she found Stefan she sat down next to him and turned to look at him. They both had questions for the other and now was the time to ask.

"What happened with you and Rebekah? I saw you sneaking up the stairs with her. She looked happy to see you."

"She was. We didn't talk much, but we'll have enough time to discuss everything later on. She doesn't plan on disappearing and neither do we, so we just enjoyed each other's company."

She wiggled her eye brows at him. "Enjoyed each other's company? Is that what you call it now? I remember when we used to just call it sex. But I guess the time really changed." She laughed.

"You know me always keeping up with the time. So what happened today, you seemed to be in a good mood. So I guess your date went well."

"Well we do have an arrangement. He has exactly one week to woo me."

"I'm glad he has to work for it." Stefan told her with a smile. "He's used to getting everything he wants, so it's a good change. Just." He paused to look at her. "Don't rush into anything. If you haven't decided anything in a week, don't worry about it, he'll give you more time. What I'm trying to say is just be sure you really want it before you let it happen. He won't let you go if you give in."

After their heart to heart conversation, Caroline decided to get some beauty rest. She was slightly worried that she didn't know anything about what Klaus had in store for her the next day as he didn't even tell her when he would pick her up, but she decided she would let him handle it for once. If he wanted to see her, he would have to tell her himself. As she went inside her room all her worries disappeared. On her bed lay a rolled up parchment. She opened it and looked at the beautiful drawing of her smiling while watching the play. The inscription at the bottom of the page caught her attention soon after. While she loved the picture, the words were what really impressed her. She reread them several times until she knew them by heart. No one had ever told her anything more charming.

_No matter what it takes, I will always try to make you smile. _

She put the parchment down when she noticed a little blue box on her bed. She opened it to find another note: _Thought you might need this little gift for our plans tomorrow. I'll see you at 10. Fondly Klaus. _

She looked inside the box and found a dictionary. She looked at it puzzled. Why would she need a dictionary? She looked at it once more reading the title, when finally everything clicked in place.

_English-French Oxford Dictionary_ she read.

He had told her he would teach her French, so why was she so shocked?

As she lay in bed later that night, she imagined the next day. Tomorrow would be their first night of learning French.

**So that's it for now. Hope you guys liked it. For those of you who are starting to get a little bored with all the romance, don't worry they'll be action very soon. I won't say anything else cause I might ruin the surprise.**

**Don't forget to review and I'll see you guys next time.**


	7. Chapter 7

**I would like to apologise for the long wait. **

**Anyway hope you like it.**

**Chapter 7**

_Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring!_

The sound of the front bell woke Caroline up. Groaning she stood up from her bed and moved slowly, eyes still half closed towards the door. She opened the door only to be shocked.

"Klaus? What are you doing here? It's not 10 yet. You're early." She asked trying to cover herself behind the door. She didn't want him to see her like this, hair ruffled and in her pyjamas, granted it was just a pair of shorts with a tank top, but still.

"On the contrary love, you'll find I'm exactly on time." He smiled noticing her discomfort at her current state of attire. His eyes scanned her whole body trying to memorise every part of her.

"That's not possible. I distinctly remember setting my alarm for 8.30 and it hasn't rung yet." She was stubborn. It wasn't possible, she couldn't have overslept.

Klaus put his hand inside his pocket to take his phone so he could show it to her. Caroline focused her eyes on the screen only to read: 10.01 am.

Her eyes wide, her mouth slightly open she turned to Klaus.

"I'm sorry. Come in, I'll be ready in just a second."

She opened the door for him, led him to the foyer and after getting him a blood bag, she ran to her room. In record time, she was finished. She hadn't curled her hair, not wanting to let Klaus wait for her any longer, so she just tied it up in a pony-tail.

"Sorry. I don't know what happened to the alarm." She turned to look at Klaus who was smiling at her sitting on the sofa holding a piece of paper.

"It's quite alright love; I got to see you just out of bed." He teased her.

Caroline's cheeks turned pink and her lips turned down in a pout.

"I also had a little time to draw this." He handed her the paper he was holding and she looked at it, only to pause in shock.

He had drawn her again, only this time she was in her pyjamas with her hair around her like a halo – it was her this morning. The only exception was that instead of looking half asleep and indecent she looked radiant.

Klaus observed her taking in her reaction. He wanted to assure her that she had looked perfect this morning and that she always looked beautiful no matter what she had on.

"Thank you." She told him.

"So where do you want us to study?" He asked her grabbing his bag.

"In the kitchen would probably be the best." She said grabbing his hand to lead him to the kitchen.

Klaus was astonished at her move. She had taken his hand voluntarily without him asking and although it was only a baby step in the right direction, it comforted him because it showed him she was open to trying to make it work with him.

They sat down and Klaus grabbed his bag to pull out one text book and one exercise book. He had bought two text books, but after consideration he brought only one; this way they had to share it.

He started with the basics, explaining the main tenses, verbs and teaching her a few basic sentences. She wrote them all down in the notebook she had brought with her and tried to memorise them as they worked. She had to admit he was a good teacher.

"Have you taught before? You seem to know what you're doing."

"In the 60s I taught at Oxford and Cambridge and in the 90s I taught at Yale. It wasn't French that I taught though; I was always the teacher of the history of art." She laughed at his answer.

"Does anyone else know about this? I'm sure the world wouldn't be as scared of the big bad original hybrid if they knew they could have taken lessons with him." She mocked him even though she found it extremely interesting.

"I'll have you know that I happen to be a very strict teacher and tend to give punishments to those who don't work." He answered his tone cool. "So you'll have to work very hard."

For lunch Caroline ordered pizza. Despite Klaus's wish to take her out to a restaurant, she insisted and Klaus eventually gave in to her. She wanted to eat at home to show him that even though eating at fancy restaurants was great, eating at home with a friend was just as good, if not better.

In the afternoon they continued with French until he sensed her getting a little restless. He stood up and Caroline looked at him trying to figure out what he was doing.

"I think we've studied enough for today. You need a break and I have just the ideal activity on my mind. Go get your swimming suit." He ordered her gently.

She hurried to her room, grabbed her bikinis and flashed in front of him. She was excited but couldn't fully understand why.

Klaus drove her to his mansion, grabbed two towels gave them to her and showed her where to get changed. Coming out of the room with a towel wrapped around her body Caroline laughed at his expression; His eyes were full of lust. He showed her towards the lake he had in the premises and Caroline stared at the crystal clear water. She let go of Klaus's arm and quickly unwrapped the towel from around herself and raced towards the water. She jumped right in without waiting for Klaus who was taking in the sight. Her pale body was perfect. The black bikinis she wore showed off her figure and her curves making her look like a Greek Goddess. He stripped himself too and ran after her into the water eager to join her.

She heard a splash and turned around to look for him. She couldn't see him anywhere. Suddenly she was pulled under the water and she closed her eyes before coming back up and looking at him. He was laughing at her, so she smacked him gently. She approached him hesitating and smiled as he didn't move. When she was only a few centimetres from him she pulled her arms out of the water and rested them on his shoulders. He watched her not knowing what to do, before he saw her smirk slightly. He caught on to her intention immediately but it was too late, she had already pushed him under the water. She tried swimming away wanting to escape his retaliation but she wasn't fast enough.

They played around for a little while chasing one other, splashing each other until suddenly Caroline found herself in his arms, her back leaning on his chest. He had caught her while she was swimming away after splashing the water in his face. Caroline turned around to look at him and saw his eyes boring into her. They scanned her face before settling on her pink lips. She wet them slightly with her tongue and Klaus couldn't help but think she was playing with him. He leaned his head towards her slightly, showing her his intentions but allowing her the option of backing out, before he felt her lips on his. He closed his eyes conserving into his memory the feel of her lips. Their lips moved in sink before Caroline decided to take control. With her teeth she grabbed hold of his lower lip enjoying the growl she heard Klaus make. She wanted to taste him and begged for entrance into his mouth. He obliged happily and soon their tongues were battling for domination. They broke off the kiss both out of breath. Caroline looked at him smiling, pressed her lips slightly back against his for a second before diving into the water. Later on she might regret her actions, but right now it felt perfect.

…

It was dark when they arrived back at the house. Walking towards the door they held hands. They stopped in front of the door and Caroline let go of his hand in order to search for her keys. Both of them immediately missed the warmth of the others hand, but neither mentioned anything.

Caroline felt silly looking for her keys for so long, but it was mainly due to her being nervous. She didn't want Klaus to leave, at least not yet, but she wasn't ready to take the next step. They had already kissed today and though it felt wonderful, Caroline was still worried. She tried to convince herself she was worried because they were moving too fast but truth be told she was worried because she thought she was getting too attached. She had loved the kiss and wanted more, that's what scared her.

When she finally found the keys, without thinking about it she asked him while unlocking the door: "Would you like to come inside for a while? We've got coffee? Or tea?"

"It would be my pleasure." Klaus responded trying to ignore the feeling in his chest. He had never felt this happy.

She opened the door and they walked inside towards the kitchen.

"Take a seat." She told him. "What would you like to drink? I know I said we have coffee and tea, but just in case you're wondering, we do have Scotch." She winked at him while saying the last part of her sentence.

He laughed at her.

"What?" She asked innocently.

"You know me well, love. If you wouldn't mind I'd have the Scotch."

"Of course. I thought so." She smirked at him.

She got up and went towards one of the cupboards. When she opened it Klaus saw a lot of bottles of alcohol, all different.

"I never took you for a drinker."

"You don't know a lot about me." Caroline answered coyly.

She poured him a glass of Scotch and herself a glass of Vodka and sat down on the sofa next to him. Handing him his glass she accidently brushed her fingers on his and she felt the electricity between them.

"So what's on the agenda tomorrow?" She asked pulling back her hand and setting her drink on the table.

"I have a surprise for you. So I won't tell you. Wouldn't want to ruin it now would I?" He asked.

As he looked up at her through his eyelashes, his sparkling blue eyes all innocent, Caroline threw all caution in the wind. She leaned in and started to kiss him. Whether he was surprised she couldn't tell because he reacted immediately and much like during the afternoon, both of them were soon lost in the bliss of feeling the other.

"Help! I need somebody. Help! Not just anybody. Help! You know I need someone. Help. When I was younger so much younger than today…"

The sound of the phone ringing startled both of them.

Caroline looked at the screen her fingers itching to press the 'ignore' button. She considered it and then pressed it silencing her phone. Whatever it was Elena wanted, it wasn't as important as finishing what she was doing. She looked back at Klaus smiling and leaned in to continue their make-out session when once again, they got interrupted.

"Help! I need somebody. Help! Not just anybody. Help! You know I need…"

"Hello?" Caroline asked putting the phone to her ear.

"Caroline!" Elena's voice shouted from the phone. "You need to come back to Mystic Falls. Now. It's important."

"Elena. You know I never go back. My mum always meets me out of town. It's too dangerous. Someone could recognise me." Caroline reasons. She always wanted to come back and visit, but was worried about her mother's safety. Even though the council was finished, there were those who still knew about the existence of vampires and who were more than ready to react if they ever found one. Caroline's mum was safe as long as nobody knew Caroline was a vampire.

"It doesn't matter much anymore. Caroline." She paused. "Your mother is in the hospital. The doctors say it won't be long now. I'm sorry."

Caroline's eyes filled with tears.

"We have to do something Elena. Anything. Can't you give her blood? I don't want to lose her, I can't." Caroline pleaded.

"I already gave her some just to keep her going. She wants to see you so she agreed to it, but Care, you know she would never turn. She's 91 years old. She's lived a long life, she doesn't want to prolong it." Elena explains.

Caroline knew it would come eventually, but she just didn't expect it so soon. Her mother was old, that she knew, but she never realised just how old.

"I'll be there." Caroline answered simply.

She closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing. She had to stay calm. She had to think clearly. It wouldn't help anyone if she started panicking. As she felt her heart rate slow down, she started planning everything in her head. She had so much to do: pack, buy plane tickets, order a car to get to Mystic Falls. She had to tell Stefan, even though Liz was not his mother, they were great friends and he'd want to know. He might be worried about leaving Rebekah for a while, but he wouldn't leave Caroline alone during a time like this. She wondered how the conversation will go, after all Caroline's not the only one who's getting close to an original.

She froze.

Klaus.

She had completely forgotten he was with her.

She turned around to face him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**So I know it's been a really long time since the last update and I'm sorry for that. I wrote this a while back but I wanted to post it only when I was sure of where I was heading with the story.**

**Anyway I won't bore you any longer.**

**It's a shorter update than usual but I hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

As soon as Klaus heard the doppelganger on the phone he knew something was wrong. She sounded too stressed for everything to be ok.

"_You need to come back to Mystic Falls. Now! It's important!"_ A low growl escaped his throat as he heard her.

Bloody doppelganger, he thought. Just when things were going great with Caroline, after all this time, she had to mess everything up. After 50 years he had finally managed to get Caroline to take a chance on him and now it would be for nothing. Caroline was nothing if not loyal. Of course she would go help her friend. Oh how he hated the wench. Not only did she carry the face of the first girl he ever courted, she reminded him of all his failures. How he never managed to get Tatia to choose him over Elijah. How Katarina managed to escape his grasp and of course how he would never be able to create more hybrids. Just like the other two girls, she always screwed up his life.

"_Elena. You know I never go back."_

Klaus froze. It wasn't possible. Caroline would never deny her friend anything. He tried not to get his hopes up too much as he listened to the conversation, but failed to do so. Even after all this time he could never control his emotions around her.

"_Your mother is in the hospital. The doctors say it won't be long now. I'm sorry."_

Klaus quickly looked at Caroline. She had turned away from him and so he couldn't see her face. He observed her figure as she spoke to Elena her voice shaking, her tone desperate. Her hands trembled as she held on to the phone. He heard her heartbeat quicken as he heard her gasp.

"_I'll be there."_

Hearing those four words Klaus's world came crashing down. She was leaving. He knew she had to go, he had seen how close she was with her mother, but he couldn't help but feel pain in his chest at the thought of her being gone again. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what he was **supposed** to do. He had never cared for anyone other than his siblings to be in this position.

Would she want him to come? Should he go with her?

He didn't know.

He saw her body stiffen and slowly turn around.

He had expected to feel pain at the look on her face, but what he saw was so much worse than anything he could have imagined. He couldn't bare it.

Her lips were no longer turned up into a smile. They were open as her breaths got heavier. It was as though she were suffocating. Last of all he looked into her eyes knowing they would break his heart.

Her eyes that were filled with joy only moments ago were swimming in tears.

"I… I…" She opened her mouth to talk to him, only to close it seconds later. She didn't know what to tell him. He had heard the conversation; that much was obvious: He was staring at her with concern as if she were a doll thrown out on the street, as if she would break.

"Caroline?"

He broke the silence.

Hearing her name she snapped out of her state. She had no time to panic, no time to break down, her mother needed her and that was all that mattered.

"I need to call the airport and buy tickets back to Virginia. I need to go back as soon as possible." She looked at him. "Do you think you could call Stefan and tell him to come to the airport immediately? Tell him where we're going and tell him he can bring Rebekah with him if he wishes. If he asks why we're leaving tell him anything but the truth, I have to break it to him myself and I need to do it in person."

Without waiting for an answer she started dialling on her phone.

"Heathrow Airport. This is Mary speaking. How may I help you?"

"Hello. This is Caroline Forbes client number 77655829. I would like to reserve several tickets for a flight back to America, to Virginia, as soon as possible."

"Of course, the next flight is in 5 hours. Will that be alright?"

"Yes, that is perfect."

"How many tickets would you like?"

Without any hesitation Caroline answered immediately: "Four."

"Very well. All will be ready for when you arrive."

"Thank you. Good bye."

Caroline hung up the phone and ran to her room to pack a few things into her suitcase. She grabbed a few dresses, shirts, jeans, shoes and her necessities: her make-up and curling iron. She flashed to Stefan's room and threw a few of his clothes into a different suitcase. She checked in her mind if she had thought of everything he might need when she remembered what she hadn't packed, his underwear.

She knew it was silly especially right now, but she was still hesitant to open his underwear drawer. She felt as though she were going through his little Pandora's Box.

She slowly opened the drawer only to shut it straight away. She couldn't do it. Sure she had seen Stefan in his underwear before, many times before, she had even seen him naked on a few occasions, but she had never picked any out for him.

"Klaus?" She called.

He flashed in front of her.

"Would you umm…" She paused blushing. "Would you please grab Stefan some of his underwear for the trip? I don't really want to go through them. I know it's stupid but I just can't deal with it right now. I mean, I know I've already seen him in his underwear so it shouldn't be a problem, I've already seen him naked, we live together so it shouldn't be this awkward, but I've never picked out a guy's underwear and I just, I can't right now." She rambled before flashing away.

Klaus wasn't sure what to think. He saw she was slowly but certainly breaking down and he wasn't sure how he could help.

He walked towards the cupboard she had pointed out to him and paused remembering her words.

"_I know I've already seen him in his underwear so it shouldn't be a problem, I've already seen him naked…"_

He growled jealous. Why had she seen Stefan naked? Were they lovers? Had they been lovers? He had to ask her.

"Oh and do you mind if we take your car to the airport? I could call a cab but it might take some time before it gets here." Caroline interrupted his thoughts.

"It's okay we can take my car."

"Do you want to stop by your house to grab a few things before we go?" She asked.

He turned towards her slightly shocked. He had heard her say she reserved four plane tickets, but he wasn't sure until now if that really meant she wanted him to come with her.

She looked at him as he turned and suddenly seeing his expression, she remembered she hadn't actually asked him if he wanted to come with her.

She looked on the ground for a second, shy, before she looked back into his eyes and with new confidence asked: "Do you want to go with me? I know I didn't ask and I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking, but would you like to go with me?"

"Do you want me to go?" He asked slightly nervous.

A few seconds passed and Klaus was suddenly terrified of her answer. Maybe she had realised she didn't want him to come with her. Maybe she had changed her mind.

"Yes." She whispered breaking him out of his panic. "I want you to come with me."

"Then I'll come with you. "

"So do you want to stop by your house on the way?" She asked once more.

"If you don't mind. Any clothes I left in Mystic Falls are from 50 years ago and I really don't want to go shopping with everything that's happening."

"Ok. I'll be ready in a second." She told him as she left.

Klaus opened the drawer and grabbed several underwear without thinking about it. His mind wasn't on his action, but on Caroline. She had asked him to come with her. Despite the situation Klaus couldn't resist the urge to smile. She wanted him by her side. She wanted him. Nobody ever had.

**So that's it for now. I hoped you guys liked it and won't hesitate to leave me a comment.**

**For those interested I started a new Klaroline story called ****Family above all****. The synopsis for the story is:**

**Caroline had had it all: a family, a husband and a home. Being a 2000 year old vampire she should have been able to keep it working and yet she didn't, she lost it all, well most of it. Over half a millennium later she is reunited with her love for the first time. Will they find a way back to each other or will his betrayal forever tear them apart.**

**So I'll leave it to you to make the choice. **

**Until next time (normally a lot sooner)**


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